Chocolate tacos
Serves 8
Chocolate tortillas:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized cocoa
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 1 -1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Cover the batter and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
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Remove the batter from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, which will take 20-30 minutes. Heat a small non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Pour in a little less than 1/4 cup of batter (I use a long-handled measuring cup as my ladle) and tilt the pan quickly to spread the batter into a 6-inch circle. Once the edges look dry (2 or 3 minutes), loosen the edges with a knife and turn over the tortilla. Cook another minute or two.
- Lift the soft hot chocolate tortilla out of the pan with a knife and quickly drape it over a rolling pin. It will become firm and crisp as it cools. Alternatively, if you have a taco rack, put the soft tortilla in that to firm up, teasing the middle open so that you1ll have lots of room for fruit.
Fresh Fruit Filling:
- 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced (grind a tiny amount of fresh black pepper on top)
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes or sliced into 1/2" thick strips
- 2 kiwi, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 banana, peeled and sliced into rounds just before serving to prevent browning
- Gently mix berries together in a bowl. Keep the remaining fruit separate until assembling or they'll pick up the colors from the berries.
- 1/2 pint sorbet (Use a flavor of one of the fruits
- 8 mint sprigs
- 8 edible flowers
- Place a tortilla on a serving plate. Generously fill it with the berries and then tuck in the mango, kiwi and bananas. Add a scoop of sorbet and garnish with mint and the edible flower.
- Night Owl Instructions: The chocolate tortilla batter can be made the night before and kept in the refrigerator. The tortillas could also be made the night before but need to be kept in an absolutely dry and airtight container or they'll lose their crispness.
The list above is not sacred. Use a variety of whatever is wonderful and fresh at the market. Some alternatives:
- Sliced peaches (grate some nutmeg over them)
- Fresh figs, quartered
- Kumquats, halved
- Mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
- Seedless grapes
- Papaya, peeled and sliced
If your strawberries are not especially sweet, bring out their flavor by tossing 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with the sliced berries. Let them sit for half an hour and the vinegar will bring out the flavor.
MORE RECIPES:
Chocolate Madeleine Spoons
Makes 12-15 spoonfuls
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Beat the egg with the sugar. Mix in the melted butter. Put the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder through a sieve and fold into the egg mixture. Fill buttered teaspoons or tablespoons 2/3 full and place on a cookie sheet, propping the spoon handles on the edge so that the batter doesn't fall out. Bake for 5 minutes, or a minute or two longer if using a larger spoon. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Saturday, March 21.
Barbara will be signing "Chocolate for Breakfast" starting at 12:45.
About the book:
Chocolate for Breakfast by Barbara Passino
>> Buy the book on Amazon
Chocolate for Breakfast is a sumptuous collection of Barbara's passion-filled creations, techniques, philosophies and anecdotes, all presented in over 100 easy-to-follow recipes. The 250 food photographs were taken by internationally-renowned photographer, Marc Hoberman, who used only natural light to showcase the cornucopia of ingredients found in each recipe . Menus with a chocolate twist showcase culinary influences from around the world, creating unique meals for that special someone on Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, or to make any day special.
About Oak Knoll Inn:
Surrounded by 600 acres of vineyards, slowly drifting hot-air balloons and magnificent sunrises, Oak Knoll Inn is the perfect setting for a slow-paced, life-changing feast that Barbara likes to call breakfast. Guests from around the world return year-after-year to dine on Barbara's latest culinary creations. Critics have delighted in the Oak Knoll experience, frequently describing it as Napa's most romantic and luxurious bed and breakfast. Mornings at Oak Knoll start with breakfast that can be enjoyed in front of a crackling fire or out on the sunny deck. Every evening, Oak Knoll hosts a wine and cheese party, often with a visiting winemaker. A refreshing splash in the swimming pool in the morning and a soothing dip in the Jacuzzi at night are the perfect way to start and end the day. And, the secluded setting of Oak Knoll Inn belies the wonderful fact that some of Napa's best known wineries and renowned restaurants are just minutes away.
Website: http://www.oakknollinn.com
About Barbara Passino:
Barbara Passino is the proprietor/chef of Oak Knoll Inn, a luxurious, intimate inn nestled amidst rows of grapevines in Napa Valley, California's Wine Country. Her decadent breakfasts have become California legend and attract visitors from all over the world. In the midst of her 15 years in the world of finance, Barbara took time to study with master chef Marcella Hazan in Venice. Eager to learn about other cultures through the role of food in daily life, Barbara combined travel with the study of cooking and was inspired to turn her passion into a full-time dream-come-true: Barbara and her husband John bought the Oak Knoll Inn in 1992. All of this culminates in the greatest breakfasts imaginable.
